Who is Max Liechty?
Max Liechty is a Philadelphia product designer and co-founder of ChompShop, maker of the ChompSaw, a kid-safe power tool that cuts cardboard. He met co-founder Kausi Raman in a product design master's program at the University of Pennsylvania, where the idea took shape in class as a way to teach children design thinking and to give households a use for the cardboard boxes that pile up from online shopping. The ChompSaw works like a fast hole punch, nibbling away cardboard bit by bit so kids can build models and costumes. The company, first called InvenTABLE, launched a Kickstarter in October 2023 seeking $50,000; it hit the goal in 23 minutes and closed with about $1.2 million.
Total sales reached about $2.1 million on roughly 10,000 units within a year. A cease-and-desist letter forced a name change shortly before the Shark Tank taping. In Season 16 the founders asked for $250,000 for 5%, drew multiple offers and accepted $250,000 for 15% from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. After the episode they reported running low on inventory.
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